Pleat adjustment in vertical, form, film and seal packaging system and method

Abstract

A method and apparatus for continuously or intermittently and vertically forming, filling and sealing packaging includes an infeed section, a pleating assembly, a forming tube and a sealing assembly. The pleating assembly imparts at least one pleat to the film. The film may be driven and measured at a nip following the pleating. The forming tube receives the film from the infeed section after the pleat has been made. A film tube is formed about the forming tube. The film tube is vertically fed downward to the sealing assembly which imparts seals to the film tube, thereby forming packages. A hole punch punches holes in the film tube. The film travels a film path that includes the hole punch, the forming tube, the vertical seal assembly and the horizontal seal assembly.

1. A vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine, comprising:
 an infeed section disposed to provide a film; 
 a pleating assembly, disposed to impart at least one pleat to the film, and comprising a user controlled cross-machine pleat location adjustment operatively connected to the pleating assembly; 
 a driven nip through which the film passes after the pleating assembly; 
 a forming tube, disposed to receive the film from the driven nip, and about which a film tube is formed, and from which the film tube is vertically fed downward; and 
 a sealing assembly, disposed to receive the film tube from the forming tube, and disposed to impart seals to the film tube, thereby forming packages. 
 
   
   
     2. The vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine of  claim 1 , wherein the pleating assembly is part of the infeed section, and wherein the infeed section is a continuous infeed section. 
   
   
     3. The vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine of  claim 2 , wherein the infeed section further comprises a pleat sealing assembly disposed to receive the film after it passes through the pleating assembly and further disposed to seal the at least one pleat prior to the film being received by the driven nip. 
   
   
     4. The vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine of  claim 3 , wherein the pleating assembly further comprises a user controlled pleat depth adjustment operatively connected to the pleating assembly. 
   
   
     5. The vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine of  claim 1 , wherein the pleating assembly further comprises at least two pleaters, whereby at least two pleats are imparted to the film by the pleating assembly. 
   
   
     6. The vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine of  claim 5 , further comprising a hole punch assembly disposed to punch a hole in the film, and further disposed to receive the film after the film reaches the forming tube. 
   
   
     7. The vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine of  claim 1 , wherein the driven nip is a measured driven nip. 
   
   
     8. A method of vertically, forming, and sealing packages, comprising:
 feeding film; 
 imparting at least one pleat to the film; 
 adjusting a cross-machine location of the pleat location in response to a user controlled cross-machine direction pleat location adjustment; 
 measuring a length of the film after the pleat has been imparted; 
 providing the measured film to a forming tube and imparting a vertical seal to the film, thereby forming a film tube; and 
 applying a series of horizontal seals, thereby forming packages. 
 
   
   
     9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising intermittently providing product through the forming tube, to fill each package between the horizontal seals. 
   
   
     10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising sealing the at least one pleat. 
   
   
     11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising adjusting a pleat depth in response to a user controlled pleat depth adjustment. 
   
   
     12. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising imparting at least a second pleat. 
   
   
     13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein intermittent hole punching is synchronized with the horizontal sealing to form one hole for each package. 
   
   
     14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein measuring includes measuring and driving. 
   
   
     15. A vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine, comprising:
 means for feeding film; 
 means for imparting at least one pleat to the film, including a user controlled means for adjusting a cross-machine direction pleat location operatively connected to the means for imparting; 
 means for measuring a length of the film after the pleat has been imparted; 
 means for forming a film tube and for feeding the film tube vertically downward, disposed to receive film from the means for measuring; and 
 sealing means for receiving the film tube from the forming means and for sealing the film tube, thereby forming packages. 
 
   
   
     16. The vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine of  claim 15 , further comprising means for sealing the at least one pleat, disposed to receive the film after it passes through the means for imparting and before the film is received by the means for measuring. 
   
   
     17. The vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine of  claim 15 , further comprising a user controlled means for adjusting a pleat depth operatively connected to the means for imparting. 
   
   
     18. A vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine, comprising:
 means for feeding film; 
 means for imparting at least one pleat to the film 
 means for measuring a length of the film after the pleat has been imparted; 
 means for forming a film tube and for feeding the film tube vertically downward, disposed to receive film from the means for measuring; 
 sealing means for receiving the film tube from the forming means and for sealing the film tube, thereby forming packages; and 
 a user controlled means for adjusting pleat separation operatively connected to the means for imparting. 
 
   
   
     19. The vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine of  claim 18 , further comprising means for punching a hole in the film, and disposed to receive the film after the film reaches the means for forming. 
   
   
     20. The vertical, form, fill and seal packaging machine of  claim 18 , wherein the means for measuring also is a means for driving the film.